Wiring apparatus having improved wire-feeding means



Feb. 1, 1966 E. R. KREINBERG ET AL WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 27, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 1, 1966 E. R. KREINBERG ET AL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 2'7, 1964 18 Sheets$heet 2 1, 1965 I E. R. KREINBERG ETAL ,23

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 27. 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 1, 1966 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 2'7. 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 1, 1966 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 27, 1964 'Feb.1,1966 REN ERG ETA L 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 27. 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet e v 1965" E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 27, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 Feb. 1, 1966 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIREFEEDING MEANS l8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed April 27, 1964 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967 WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Feb. 1, 1966 I 18 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed April 27, 1964 1956' E. R. KREINBERG ETAL WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 27, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet l0 Feb. 1966 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS l8 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed April 27, 1964 Feb. 1, 1966 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 27, 1964 l8 Sheets-Sheet 12 1966 E. R, KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIREFEEDING MEANS Filed April 2'7, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 Feb, 1, 1966 E. R. KRElNBERG ETAL 3,231,967,

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIREFEEDING MEANS Filed April 27, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 1966 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 27, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 1, 19 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,23

WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS Filed April 27, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 WIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS l8 Sheets-Sheet 17 Filed April 27, 1964 E. R. KREINBERG ETAL 3,231,967

Feb. 1, 1966 WIYIRING APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED WIRE-FEEDING MEANS l8 Sheets-Sheet 18 Filed April 27, 1964 NOPO Z SE. -23 5122 n a an I m WPSJUNZU ZOEUwaun moi United States Patent O Filed Apr. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 362,639

8 Claims. (Cl. 29-203) This invention relates to the control of automatic Win ing machines having improved wire feeding means which are used to form electrical connections between predetermined terminal posts on a panel board containing a multiplicity of such terminal posts.

A variety of automatic and semi-automatic wiring machines are now known to the, art of wiring panelboards and the like. In general, these machines comprise a device, herein designated as an applicator, for attaching a wire to a terminal post and means for moving the applicator relative to the panelboard in order to position the applicator in the vicinity of, the terminal post to which a connection is to be made. The moving means may comprise a coordinately movable carriage onwhich either the applicator or the panelboard is mounted. In the operation of wiring machines, of this general class, the applicator attaches the endofa wire to a first post (the A post) and is then moved relative to the panelboard until it arrives in the vicinity of the second post of a pair which are to be electrically connected (the B post). During such relative movement of the applicator, wire is drawn from a reel or other endless source and laid on or over the panelboard along a path corresponding to the path of relative movement of the applicator wit-h respect to the panelboard. The applicator then attaches the wire to the B post to complete the electrical circuit from the A post to the B post.

The present invention relates to the control of the applicator of an automatic wiring machine during its relative movement from an A post to a B post and to the feeding of wire through the applicator during such movement, The principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of applicator and are usable with applicators adapted to make wrap-type connections, welds and clip-type connections between the wire and the terminal post. The embodiment of the invention disclosed hereinbelow is particularly adapted to usage with an applicator of the type disclosed in the copending application of John R. Vickery, Serial No. 293,602, filed July 9, 1963, which forms a clip-type connection between the wire and the terminal .post.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus of controlling the applicator of an automatic or semi-automatic wiring machine. A further object is to provide an applicator control method and apparatus having an improved wire feeding arrangement and an improved wire feeding method. A further object is to provide a wiring machine for the wiring of panelboards which permits the laying of wire along diagonal paths, relative to the panelboard grid system, extending between terminal posts. A still further object is the achievement of precise control of the feeding and measuring of the wire drawn from a reel during relative movement of the applicator from one post to a second post. A further object is to provide a machine including means for attaching wire from a substantially endless source to a first terminal post, means for laying wire between the first terminal post and a second terminal post, means for severing the wire, and means for attaching the end of the severed wire to the second terminal post.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in a preferredtembodiment thereof comprising a coordinately movable carriage having an applicator mounted 3 ,23 1,967 Patented Feb. 1, 1966 thereon for making clip-typeelectrical connections between a wire and a terminal post. The carriage is moved in the X-direction (of an X-Y coordinate system) by means of an X-axis lead screw and is moved in the Y- direction by means of a Y-axis lead screw. Each lead screw is rotated in either direction by an electric motor controlled by an intelligence source,- such as a punched tape, through the medium of a suitable numerical controller. Wire is fed through the applicator and towards the surface of the panelboard bymeans of an electric 7 motor, the arrangement being such that the rate of feeding wire is always equal to the rate of movement of the applicator head relative to the panelboard whether the applicator is moving in a cardinal direction (the X-direction or the Y-direction) or is moving diagonally with respect to the board. The wire is guided towards the board through an outlet guide or nozzle in the applicator which is directed towards the surface of the board. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes means for shifting this nozzle in a cardinal direction a distance equal to one-half of the spacing between posts at the beginning of each cycle of travel of the applicator so that the nozzle can travel along a diagonal path and will lay the wire along a diagonal of the paneiboard grid system without encountering any of the posts on the panelboard.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a program controlled panel wiring machine; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the applicator of the machine of FIGURE 1, some of the parts having been broken away and others omitted from this view as is described in the specification;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing only the frame work of the applicator, the rotating shafts and the stationary rocker arm shafts; FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the back surface of the frame plate 26 showing the single revolution clutch by means of which the applicator is driven, through a single operating cycle;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the plate 24 and showing the wire feed nozzle and the mechanism for shifting the end of the wire from one side of a terminal post to an intermediate position and to the oppositeside of the post, the parts being shown in the positions they occupy when the wire is being connected to the first one (the Al ost) of two terminal posts; I FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but showing the positions of the parts when the wire feed nozzle is in its intermediate position which it occupies during" movement of the applicator from the A post to a sec-. ond terminal post (the B post);

FIGURES 7 and 8 are views taken along the lines;

'J7 and 8-8 respectively of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but showing the positions of the parts when the wire isbeing attached to the B post of a pair of .posts being connected;

FIGURE 10 is a view taken along the lines 10-10 of FIGURE 9; 1

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic plan view showing a portion of a terminal board and illustrating the move ments of the wire nozzle during a complete operating operation;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the clip pusher, by means of which the clip is pushed onto the terminal post, and the associated guiding and actuating mechanism for the pusher;

FIGURE 13 is a view taken along the lines 13- -13 of FIGURE 12; V

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the wire shear blade and the guiding and actuating mechanism associated therewith;

FIGURE is a fragmentary perspective view showing both the clip pusher and the shear blade;

FIGURE 16 is a view taken along the lines 16-16 of FIGURE 15;

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary sectional side view showing the clip feeding, guiding and shearing mechanism and illustrating the manner in which the leading clip of the strip is fed onto the transfer device;

FIGURE 18 is a view taken along the lines 18-18 of FIGURE 17;

FIGURE 19 is a view similar to FIGURE 17 but showing the positions of the parts when the leading clip is sheared from the strip of clips;

FIGURE 20 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the clip transfer mechanism and illustrating the positions of the parts after a single clip has been positioned in alignment with the clip pusher;

FIGURE 21 is a view taken along the lines 21-21 of FIGURE 20;

FIGURE 22 is a view similar to FIGURE 21 but showing the positions of the parts when the transfer device is in alignment with the feed path of the strip of clips and is disposed at the clip loading station;

FIGURE 23 is a view taken along the lines 23-23 of FIGURE 22;

FIGURE 24 is a view similar to FIGURE 23 illustrating the severing of the leading clip from the strip;

FIGURE 25 is a fragmentary perspective view of the clip mandrel and mandrel bar;

FIGURE 26 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the positions of the wire nozzle, the mandrel, the transfer device, the clip shearing blade and the clip pusher at the beginning of the operation of connecting the wire to an A post;

FIGURE 27 is a view similar to FIGURE 26 but showing the positions of the parts during the interval of movement of the appliactor from the A post to the B post;

FIGURE 28 is a view similar to FIGURE 26 but showing the positions of the parts at the beginning of the operation of connecting the wire to the B post;

FIGURE 29 is a view similar to FIGURE 28 but showing the positions of the parts at the end of the connecting operation;

FIGURE 30 is a perspective view of a short section of connector clips;

FIGURE 31 is a perspective view of a terminal post having a wire connected thereto by a connector clip;

FIGURE 32 is a plan view of the rearward side of the frame plate 24 and showing the chain drive for the power shafts;

FIGURE 33 is a plan view of the coordinately movable carriage of the machine of FIGURE 1 and showing the actuating series for this carriage;

FIGURE 34 is a fragmentary view showing a quantizer disc and pulse generating means for controlling the wire feed mechanism of the machine of FIGURE 1, this view being taken along the lines 34-34 of FIGURE 35;

FIGURES 35 and 36 are views taken along the lines 35-35 and 36-36 of FIGURE 34;

FIGURE 37 is a schematic representation of the wire feed control means of the machine of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 38 and 39 are vector diagrams which illustrate the operation of the wire feed control shown in FIGURE 37; and

FIGURES 40 and 41 are views showing the manner in which Wire is laid against the surface of the panelboard during a wiring operation, FIGURE 41 being taken along the lines 41-41 of FIGURE 40.

The accompanying drawings and the description below disclose an embodiment of the present invention which is integrated with an automatic wiring machine of the type disclosed and claimed in the copending Vickery application, Serial No. 293,602. Inasmuch as an understanding f th V y mach e i e e y o an nde and g of the present invention, a description of the Vickery machine is presented below.

Referring first to FIGURES 30 and 31, an electrical connection between a terminal post 11 and a wire 13 is achieved by means of a clip 1 having a web 3 with upstanding sidewalls 5 on two opposite sides thereof. The sidewalls are reversely curled along their longitudinal edges 7 so that the clip is adapted to embrace the post and to hold the stripped end 15 of the wire against the surface of the post with the wire extending relatively downwardly along the post and emerging from the clip at its lower end as viewed in the drawing. Advantageously, an outwardly cupped insulation support 9 is provided on the web at its leading end for the accommodation of the end portion of the insulation of the wire.

The wiring machine, FIGURE 1, comprises an applicator or head 2 having a mounting bracket 4 secured thereto. The bracket 4 is suspended by means of a rod 6 from a bracket 8, which, in turn, extends from a coordinately movable carriage 10. As shown in FIGURE 33, the carriage 10 is slidably mounted on a first pair of rails 436 and is moved in either X-direction on these rails by means of a screw 437 which is threaded through a suitable boss on the underside of the carriage. Screw 437 is rotated by means of either one of two motors 438, 442, the motor 438 being of a relatively higher power than motor 442 and being coupled to a shaft 439 extending from the end of the power screw by means of a suitable belt 440. Motor 438 may be a conventional three phase induction motor adapted to rotate at only a single speed and rotates the screw 437 while the appliactor is moving at its highest speed relative to the panelboard. Motor 442 is advantageously of the synchronous stepping motor type and is directly coupled to the shaft 439. Motor 442 rotates the screw 43 7 while its rotative velocity is decreasing, that is during the final portion of the travel of the applicator from an A post to a B post.

Rails 436, screw 437 and motors 438, 442 are mounted on a platform 445 which, in turn, is slidably mounted on a pair of rails 444 to permit movement of carriage 10 in the Y-direction. Platform 445 is moved along these rails in either direction by means of a screw 446 and motors 448, 452 which are similar to the motors 438, 442. Further details of the manner in which the motors 438, 442, 448, 452 are controlled and details of the cooperative relationship between these motors and the wire feed mechanism in the applicator 2 are presented below.

A panelboard 16, from which the terminal posts 11 project, is supported on a stationary table 14 which, in turn, is supported by a base 18. Wire 13 and terminal clips in strip form 1 are supplied to the applicator head 2 from reels which may be conveniently mounted on the carriage 10. In the disclosed embodiment, a pair of stabilizing plates 19 extend from the carriage and are secured to the applicator head to prevent lateral movement thereofand to assure precise positioning of the head with respect to the board 15.

The apparatus shown is capable of electrically connecting any two of the terminal posts 11 on the board 16. In general, the electrical connection between two posts is formed by first connecting the end of the wire 13 to the first post (herein designated as the A post), moving the applicator 2 to a position above the second or B post by means of the power screws, severing the wire 13, and connecting the end to the B post. The operation is carried out by means of a controller 20 which, under the influence of a source of intelligence in the form of a punched tape 21, directs the complete wiring operation of the panelboard 16. A conventional manual control console 22 is provided to permit manual operation of the apparatus when desired for experimentation or adjustment.

The principles of operation of applicator 2 can be grasped from a brief reference to FIGURES 26-29 and 

1. APPARATUS FOR MAKING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN TWO TERMINAL POSTS ON A PENALBOARD COMPRISING, A SUPPORT FOR SAID PANELBOARD, A SUBSTANTIALLY ENDLESS SOURCE OF WIRE, AN APPLICATOR HAVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID WIRE TO A TERMINAL POST, APPLICATOR MOVING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID APPLICATOR RELATIVE TO SAID PANELBOARD, PULSE GENERATING MEANS FOR GENERATING A SERIES OF PULSES DURING RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID APPLICATOR WITH RESPECT TO SAID PANELBOARD, THE REPETITION RATE OF SAID APPLIATOR PULSES BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE SPEED OF SAID APPLICATOR RELATIVE TO SAID PANELBOARD, WIRE FEEDING MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID WIRE TOWARDS SAID PANEBLOARD, THE RATE OF WIRE FEEDING BY SAID WIRE FEEDING MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE REPETITION RATE OF SAID SERIES OF PULSES, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE FOREGOING MEANS IN COOPERATIVE RELATIVE SHIP WHEREBY, UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID APPLICATOR RELATIVE TO SAID PANELBOARD FROM A FIRST TERMINAL POST TO A SECOND TERMINAL POST, WIRE IS LAID ON SAID PANELBOARD ALONG THE PATH FOLLOWED BY SAID APPLICATION. 